Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-07-09
THE BRUNSWICK GROST.

not only III the little capital, but through
out Germany. In 1746 there died in til,
college one of the masters, Dorien by name
a worthy man, who had always conducted
| himself well, and had discharged his du
ties conscientiously. He was quiet, anna
/ BILE man, who gave no ofense to any one
a man generally respected, alike by the mas.
tiers and the pupils, and also by those few
who knew him in the town.
On the night that he died he sent word
| to another master named Hofer that be
particularly desired to speak to him. Ho-
fer was reused from sleep, jumped from
bed, hastily dressed, but arrived too late in
| the sick mans room to receive his commu-
nication. Dorieu was at his last grasp.
He recognized his friend, clasped his hand,
| and tried to speak but his words failed.
He died without having been able to give
bis parting communication to his friend.
Shortly after the death of Dorien the ru-
NOR spread that the dead man had been
seen IN the passages. But as those who
pretended to have seen him were only pu-
pills of the college. no importance was at
| tached to the matter. Their testimony was
regarded, and justly, on such matter as
this, to be undeserving OF notice by the
masters and professors. Nevertheless, the
rumor continually broke out again. after
short subsistence. The masters were vexed,
and wished that the innocent and blame
less memory of Dorien should be left I'M
tritied with and also undisturbed by idle
tongues. II any man deserved to rest in
his grave that man was Dorien.
ssHoWeyer, in October 174S something
occurred which reused attention seriously,
Ia no nf l,a
pect there was something real at the bot
tom of the strange reports that reached
them.
Mr.. Hofer was walking, between II and
u, through the dormitory corridor, to see
that all the pupils were in bed in their sey-
eral cubicles, and that all was quiet. when.
as he approached the door of room occu-
pied by Mr.. Lampadius one of the profess
sors, he saw the dead man sitting there on
chair, in his old dressing-gown. with a
white night-cap on his head, the lappets of
which he held together under his chin
with his right hand, and so pulled the cap
down as only to show the ewes and nose.
mouth and chin. Mr.. Hofer was so aston
ished that he stood still and looked attep-
lively at the apparition unable to trust his
eyes, or realize that he saw old Dorien in
spirit. He was somewhat frightened and
had to struggle with himself before he
could resolve to pass but he did this and
went into the room of Mr.. Lampadius and
shut the door behind him. He did not
rouse the sleeper, but paused within a min
ute, and then opened the door and went
out again. Then he saw the apparition
seated as he had seen it before He raised
his lantern, and threw the light full on the
face of the specter but at the same mo-
ment such sense of horror and faintness
came over him, that he was for moment
unable to draw back his hand. After this
event for several months the hand re-
manned swollen and painful, and he had
difficulty in using 1t.
Next day Hofer related what had hap
pened to Mr.. Oedern, professor of mathe-
mates. Oedern, as philosopher, and q
man of plain common sense, laughed at it,
and insisted that Hofer was either the dupe
of a practical joke, played by one of the
scholars, or that he had dreamt the whole
concern. When however, he was unable
to persuade Hofer that this was the case.
he offered to accompany him on his round
next night, and either discover the author
of the deception or convince his fellow
master that he had seen nothing
Next night, between II and r. the two
men made the circnit of the college dormi-
tories together. As they approached the
door of Lampadius' room, the professor of
mathematics started, and exclaimed:
Halo that's Dorien !" Hofer said
nothing, but opened the door and went
into the room. AS he came out again he
saw the same apparition in the same posi-
ton as the night before and Oedern stood
with his hand to his brow looking at it
open-eyed and with an expression of utter
bewilderment They both studied the fig
ure for some time. The face was deadly
pale, making the black beard look blacker
than it was in life. Neither had the cour-
age to address the specter, and, without a
word to each other or to it, thev retreated
along the corridor to Hefer's room.
Both spoke of the apparition next day,
and several of the professors sat UP the
next and following nights in hopes of see
ing Dorien's ghost; but their expectations
were disappointed they saw nothing. De-
dern himself revisited the passage at mid
night, but he saw the ghost no more there,
and said impatiently to the others
Come, I've done my best to see the
spirit; if he wants me now he must come
for me- | will go after him no more"
A fortnight later he was reused in his
bed at an curly hour, but at what hour he
was uncertain, except that it was between
3 A. NJ. and A. NJ. He felt himself shaken
as if taken by the shoulder. When he
opened his eyes he saw the figure of Dorien
standing between his bed and cupboard,
which was about two PAGES off, against the
wall. We are not told how Mr. Oedern
saw il, whether by its own phosphorescent
light, or by the light of the moon shining
into his room. There are many small par
ticulars in the story which are not detailed
and which might help us to explain it. He
raised himself in bed and fixed his eyes
steadily ON the apparition. which remained
visible for ABOUT eight minutes and then
faded. On the following night. at about
the same hour, he was again reused; but
there was this fact, he observed, which had
escaped him previously, and which, to our
mind, is significant. He heard the doors
of the cupboard creak, and sound exactly
as 1t some heavy person were leaning
against them. The figure he saw as be-
fore. This time he addressed it with the
words:
Go forth, thou evil spirit Wherefore
contest thou here to disturb me?"
When he said this the figure made signs
OF distress, shaking its head, wTinging its
hands and moving its feet. Then Oedern
began to repeat some of the hymns in the
Lutheran psalm-b book. The ghost disap-
peared whilst he was thus occupied. After
that Professor 0edern was left updistu-bed
for fun week; but again, at the end of
that time, he was reused about O'Clock in
the morning by feeling of cold horror.
and he saw the ghost apparently issue from
the cupboard, and come to him and lean
over his bed This was more than he
could bear; the professor Jumped out of
bed, striking as he did so at the figure,
which recoiled before him toward the cup
board, and then came on again. Oedern
now observed that the spirit-like a true
German-had his pipe in his mouth The
figure did not make any threatening signs,
but nodded It's head and appeared to be
friendly disposed.
Then Oedern, plucking up courage,
asked:
Have you left any debts unpaid?"
1t was well known that poor Dorien died
owing small sums, and this caused the pro-
fessor TO ask the question. At these words
the phantom drew back, raised itself aloft,
and made signs as if it wanted to draw
special attention to what ii was about to
say or do, or as fit wanted to give particu-
lar attention TO what was being asked it.
Oedern repeated his question. and then the
specter passed thin white hand over its
mouth forward and backward. The black
beard, which as prominently seen against
the deathly- pale face, caused Oedern to ask
further;
Had you not paid your barber?p Then
the figure slowly shook his head.
oedern further inquired, Were you in
debt for the pipe or for tobacco" Then